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Select the rooms’ largest pieces first. Measure hallways to be sure the pieces can make it through.

Select the fabric elements next, like carpets, draperies and cushions.

Follow with paint and wallpaper selections.

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Place art in relation to the furniture, not ceilings.

Shop for accessories with a shape/style in mind to create a “designed” room.

“Where do we begin with our new condo?”

That was the design dilemma question I was asked the most during the National Home Show a few weeks ago. While there were many questions about layout and more serious renovations, getting started prompted the most questions.

The process of getting your home or condo together is a relatively simple task, provided you follow the path to success.

Start with what inspired you — an image or magazine layout, for instance. Examine the architecture of your home. Have you selected a traditional space with traditional finishes? Existing elements, like the kitchen cabinets, the baseboards, crown mouldings, door profiles and knobs may give you some clues. Apparently that is the style you like, or the house or condo wouldn’t appeal to you.

Ideally, you want to work with your architecture. A traditional space may be difficult to make look “rustic-industrial” without some design skill or without altering the finishes. You’re always well advised to get some design help from a professional. As we often say to clients: This is the first time you are doing your living room while it our fifth living room this week. Experience plays a big part in making it all come together.

Start with the largest pieces of furniture for each room. This will let you use the room while you are working your way to the last details. A bedroom for instance needs the bed to start, then a dresser if you’re having one, night tables,-hen the bedroom chair. Not only do these elements allow you to have a good night’s sleep in your new space, they also start to define the design direction in terms of colour and detail. Also, if you’re dealing with budget issues, you’ve taken care of the most important elements first.

The sofa in the living room should be approximately two-thirds the length of the room’s longest to have the right proportion to the room. The dining table should be no larger than three feet less than the dimensions of the room — for example, if the room is eight-by-10 feet, the table should be about five-by-seven feet.

You may have some leftover furniture from a previous place, but if it doesn’t fit the room, it doesn’t make sense to keep it. To draw an analogy, you wouldn’t wear a Size 10 shoe if your feet are a Size 9 — or vice versa. Doing that is a path to having a pain in the room.

Make sure that you measure the pathways to the room. Most companies will not take back a custom sofa when you find out that it won’t fit in the elevator. The same is true of narrow hallways in older homes or that tight entrance to the basement. A sofa can be built in pieces to accommodate your restrictions, if you anticipate them.

Next, select the drapery fabrics and the cushions that make sense with the furniture. Most sofas come with a couple of throw cushions but you can add a couple more to get your pops of colour and co-ordinate with the drapery. The carpet in the room should also co-ordinate with the other fabrics and can be selected at the same time. It is the coordination of all of these elements that give the room that “designer” look.

It is only at this stage that you decide on a paint colour. Many people want to “get the place painted” as the first order of business. But . . . no. There are millions of paint colour options but fabric options are much more limited. If you are buying ready-made furniture, complete with fabric choice, your options are more restricted. Select the paint colour based on the fabrics of the furniture and window coverings you’ve selected. This is also the time to select a wallpaper for a focal wall. In the bedroom, for instance, the headboard wall might be sexier with texture, along with the colour, to co-ordinate with the fabric on the headboard.

Finally, the art and accessories that may have attracted you to the inspiration image in the first place. There is no question that finishing touches can make a room really sing — and art and accessories are less likely to have it go off key. But no accessory or artwork is going to make up for a poorly selected sofa. Accessories and art are just easier to choose with the other elements in place. It’s not easy to select a pair of shoes and a belt before you have the suit.

If you’re in a condo, the paint and accessories will help you hide annoying elements. You may want to find a piece of art that is just the right size to hang over the exposed electrical panel in the middle of the wall. Since you don’t need access to the panel every day, it doesn’t have to be there for all to see as a “design feature.” Cold air returns or heat exchanger covers in bright white may not suit the lovely warm grey of your walls. In that case, find a spray paint close to the colour of your walls and paint them out. A CO2 detector, as another example, is well-hidden beneath a demilune console table. There are elements in every home and condo that are necessary that you can’t really change, but you can play them down at this point in the process.

Rememeber, few creative processes happen with amazing speed. You need to be somewhat patient through the process, and know that you are headed toward a good design. Keep your inspiration image somewhere you can see so you don’t get discouraged. And shop with a specific goal in mind. This process will save you time, money and keep you from being discouraged while your dream design comes together.

Glen Peloso appears every two weeks in New in Homes & Condos. He is principal designer of Peloso Alexander Interiors, national design editor of Canadian Home Trends magazine and a design expert on the Marilyn Denis Show on CTV. Contact him at pelosoalexander.com, follow on Twitter at @peloso1 or @glenandjamie, and on Facebook.

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